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Now What, After The IDF Temple Mount Tour

Following up on this post about IDF soldiers on the Temple Mount in uniform, here is this:

For the first time in 10 years, Israel Defense Forces soldiers in uniform visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Sunday. The presence of soldiers on the Mount has been prohibited since the second Intifada in 2000. Ten IDF paratroopers were permitted to enter the Mount area – the holiest Jewish site – accompanied by Temple Mount Police Commander Superintendent Avi Biton.

After the soldiers' hour-long visit on the Mount – during which they surveyed the area around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, and were given a guided tour by Ami Meitav, head of the Lander Institute's School of Tourism – the soldiers left the area via the Mughrabi Gate.

Yehuda Glick, director of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, said on Wednesday, "We should be grateful that we are getting results from our work. We are seeing more and more Jews entering the Temple Mount area with the understanding that it – and not the Western Wall – is a holy Jewish site. Together with the recent developments of women and ultra-Orthodox Jews entering the compound, we have arrived at the point that even soldiers in uniform can visit the place, despite determined opposition from police in the past. We should now be focused on making a visit to the Temple Mount a requirement for every solider, so that they can learn its history."

Someone wrote to me 'now that the Israeli police have allowed soliders up and there was no violence, they have no reason not to let us up in tallit and tefillin. one type of clothing should not be treated differently than another' to which I responded:

nice but not quite. policmen have been up there for decades. In uniform. So???

and I was asnwered: 'police yes, soliders no and not in in the "formal dress uniform" so, the idea is to demand that based on this precendent we must be allowed in with our Jewish dress which is tallit and tefilin.

I thought that all this would probably achieve is a ban on IDF soliders touring in uniorm. I suggested simply releasing a statement that "We applaud the authorities for realizing that the IDF uniform is something not to be hidden but worn proudly and publicly even in the Temple Mount courtyards. And some day, proper Jewish religious dress will be permitted we are convinced".

What do you think?

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Dealing With Pal. Propaganda, Patience Is Required

The media and pro-Pal. activists had a field day over yet another presumed Israeli act of aggression: an Arab supposedly shot unfairly with malice.

Well, as we all know that it is dangerous and morally corrupt to believe without proof anything the Pal. propaganda machine churns out, we had to wait.

And here's the IDF conclusion:

"The terrorist was given the opportunity to stop and surrender four times"

An initial investigation of the shooting event in which an unarmed Palestinian suspiciously approached the crossing determined that the soldiers abided by established arrest procedures and acted only when the suspect did not respond. "The terrorist left the soldiers no choice but to stop him by shooting," explained Commander of the Duchifat Battalion of the Kfir Brigade, Lt. Col. Raz Sarig, whose soldiers were at the event. "We've conclude this was an unquestionable attempt at a terrorist attack."

The affair began last Sunday, when a Palestinian tried to bypass the inspection line at the Bekaot crossing east of Shechem. The suspect rapidly approached the soldiers, the latter recognizing what he held in his hand as a glass bottle. After not heeding their calls, the suspect began approaching the soldiers more quickly and yelled in Arabic. In response, the soldiers shot two bullets towards the Palestinian's legs, who continued advancing even after being hit. The soldiers then shot at his lower abdomen, which later led to the suspect's death.

After the incident, different claims were made in outlets of the media, some saying the soldiers didn't follow the procedure to open fire at a suspect and quickly opened fire at the Palestinian, though he was not armed. "The terrorist was warned and given the opportunity to stop and surrender four times and even after being hit," emphasized Lt. Col. Sarig...

IDF and Its Religious Soldiers

In case you missed this:-

...the IDF of 1993 is not the IDF of 2010. Here is what happened in the officers' course for the infantry corps, the spearhead of the combat units, during that period: In 1990, 2 percent of the cadets enrolled in the course were religious; by 2007, that figure had shot up to 30 percent. And this is how the intermediate generation of combat officers looks today: six out of seven lieutenant colonels in the Golani Brigade are religious and, beginning in the summer, the brigade commander will be as well. In the Kfir Brigade, three out of seven lieutenant colonels wear skullcaps, and in the Givati Brigade and the paratroopers, two out of six. In some of the infantry brigades, the number of religious company commanders has passed the 50 percent mark - more than three times the percentage of the national religious community in the overall population.

An Inside Look When A Soldier Comes Home on Leave

Friends of mine got to enjoy a short period of leave with their combat son in Gaza.

Some excerpts:-


From the Father

Thank you all for your prayers & well wishes. We have a peaceful night after nearly 2 weeks of tension and concern and troubled sleep.

A & others were given 18 hours off to go home - say hi, do laundry, repack, sleep & get back as the political and diplomatic powers that be duke out the fate of the Gazans and the soldiers sent in to stop the 8 year rain of terror missiles on civilian population centers north along the coast- now as far as Ashdod, Ashkelon, northeast as far as Kiryat Gat, East into the Negev kibbutzim & communiities, including Beersheva the capital of the Negev.

He got off the bus in Jerusalem at about 3:20pm. We took him out for a good meal and now he's doing laundry and packing up to go back on the next bus.

We cannot tell you much of what we were told and I'm sure that in telling us what we did hear- he still was not able to tell much. There is still a war going on and our boys are still in danger.

The circumstances of the fighting are brutal with every imagineable and unimagineable place & building booby trapped, including inhabited hospitals & schools, etc. where the Arabs show their lack of concern - for their own people. They would love to report not only a score killing Israeli soldiers - but that poor innocent (not so innocent) Arabs - men, women & children are killed or maimed as well. The orchestration is incredible on their part. They have become media experts of the first order. The media led on the Arab chain, the UN & the human rights groups conveniently overlook .

The soldiers - though concerned - and understanding the possible costs of going in deeper in heavily populated, heavily prepared & booby trapped cities - with snipers around every corner & from every high or low window - even though there are those that are married & those with children- want to be able to finish the job....

...At 10:45pm I raced him up to the bus stop with a very heavy duffle but now with clean dry clothes inside. After a rushed hug, kiss & blessing the short respite was over. He'll sleep in town to be able to get up and out and back to the eye of the storm in Gaza tomorrow. May the Guardian of Israel neither slumber or sleep. Anywhere else in the world faced with the tens of missiles and rockets fired in our direction massive casualties would have amassed. We live here in the country of miracles - seeing daily miracles. May they continue.

May we know better days. May G-d protect His people & the world from this creeping Evil. May our children come home safe and healthy.

From the Mother:

From: S

Quickie email about the fabulous hour I got to spend with A.

May Hashem watch over him and all our chayalim.

Most of the things I can't write.

So meanwhile let me start by saying, "B"H, he looks good."

He is very sunburnt. [His father] thought he had a fever. No, he has a humongous sunburn.

He could use some more sleep, and needs another shower, but truthfully, he didn't smell too much, and I think he said they gave them COFFEE SHAMPOO to clean their bodies with, or something like that, whatever it is. He said that no one cares about the other person being smelly anymore. And anyone who washes his hands with a "hand sanitizer" is looked on like a woosy boy. But he said diaper wipes are okay.

He said the soldiers are VERY CAREFUL not to go too fast or too far. They watch every inch, because there are tunnels EVERYWHERE under Gaza. He said that the Arabs' goal is to G-d forbid kidnap soldiers. They pop out of tunnels to grab soldiers. But B"H, the soldiers are being very careful.

He also doesn't recognize the area. He said it doesn't look like the Gush Katif we knew. It looks like a hell hole. He said after the war, they'll probably ask for a trillion dollars to rebuild, and that they'll probably get it and then Hamas will steal all the money (or Fatah or whoever's in power).

He said they steal the aid that is sent in. And they're using the 4 hours of quiet each day, instead of for handing out food, for regrouping and moving weapons, but we promised them quiet, so they regroup and we do nothing.

He said they have lots of sandwiches every day (to counter the lack of food in Lebanon last war) and they have water too, B"H. He said unfortunately a lot goes to waste.

I guess you notice that I'm not writing more or less anything about the war, but you never know who will see an email.

So, may Hashem keep him and all our soldiers safe and well and may we share besorot tovot together.

Love,

S